Snug
by AncientMenace
Summary: "Seeing as he was an early riser, no one had ever taken notice of his protective sleeping habits, and Sanji intended to keep it that way." - ZoSan
1. Chapter 1

_After being requested to write more ZoSan stories, I hit my laptop keyboard right away!_

_Not sure whether to make this a two part story, oh well...Enjoy!_

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Sanji sighed as he listened to the usual rambling of the ships doctor.

"I keep telling you it's bad for your back! I can't change the way you sleep, you need to be the one to fix this!"

The man knew that Chopper was right. This was a psychological thing. All those days withering away on that damned rock never allowed him to have a comfortable sleep. Whenever he did manage to catch some shut eye, the natural reaction of curling into a ball was a protective mechanism that had never left him. Even now, after sleeping night after night in the safe environment of _Merry_, he still couldn't break the habit. Apparently the curling of his back was causing problems, and according to chopper, could lead to serious damage to his spine and neck. Eventually the arching of his back was causing him slight pain, and Chopper had prescribed him with pain relievers, on the condition that he work on controlling his sleeping position.

Sanji was working on it, yet bad habits can't be stopped just because you are told not to do it. The chef tried to mentally console himself that he didn't need to sleep in the fetal position, and that he could freely spread out. Yet during the night his body would convulse from the vulnerable outstretched position, and he would slowly curl into himself. His mind still subconsciously protected his body from the blistering heat, the harsh cold, or the deadly birds of prey.

Seeing as he was an early riser, no one had ever taken notice of his protective sleeping habits, and Sanji intended to keep it that way. Yet secrets are hard to keep when you live on a small ship with six other people.

Sleeping on the floor next to Zoro was a regular occurrence. Both men naturally allowed for the younger ones to sleep on the comfortable hammocks, and were content with sleeping on the solid wood. Sanji and Zoro made sure to keep a friendly distance when lying down to sleep. After that one morning where Sanji had mistakenly nearly smooched Zoro, they went to every lengths to make sure that that could never happen again.

After Chopper had finished his speech and resupplied Sanji with the pain killers, they both agreed it was time they headed to bed along with the rest of the crew. As usual, Sanji insisted that Chopper take the last hammock, which left him with the space on the floor next to Zoro.

_Merry_ had been set to sail towards a winter island, one that Chopper was excited about, so the cold night air had a bite to it. During the quiet hours of the night, the two men on the floor had naturally shifted closer to the other's body warmth.

Zoro had been reminded constantly by Nami that he had to take over Robin's night watch shift half way through the night. So right on cue Zoro's eyes unwillingly peeled open. An unfamiliar warmth was pressed against his shirtless chest and stomach, and his muscular arm seemed to be holding the warmth closer. With his eyes now adjusted to the darkness of the men's sleeping cabin, a mess of blonde hair seemed to be obstructing his sight. With the realisation clicking into place, Zoro calmly sat up, leaning on his elbow to assess the situation. Below him he viewed how Sanji had curled against Zoro, his hands clinging onto dear life with Zoros left hand. The swordsman's eyes wandered over the chef awkwardly as he felt the deep, warm breaths on his hand from being held so close to Sanji's mouth. Now remembering being shirtless, a cold shiver wracked through Zoro's body, and he suddenly wished he was cuddling with the other man again. Cuddling?! Hold up, that couldn't be it. Seeking out warmth from another body was all that this was. So with the fact that Nami would bite his head off for ditching watch duty looming over his head, the green haired man curled himself back around the chef's body. His sanity had truly left him, as he nuzzled his cold nose against the warm neck in front of him. Shuffling his hips to be pressed closer against the man he was currently spooning, Zoro allowed for his buzzing thoughts to be over-taken by sleep.

The sound of heavy breathing behind him awoke the chef. His heartbeat sped up as he directed his gaze town towards the tanned hand he was clinging to. He automatically knew the presence surrounding him was Zoro, yet he was too tired to make a big fuss about it. The only thing he had a problem with right now was the throbbing sensation in his back. He needed to stretch out, now. Shuffling as gently as he could manage, he rolled over to face the man on the floor with him. His hand now free, the green haired man subconsciously snaked his arm back around Sanji's waist, pulling the source of warmth closer. Sanji groggily shuffled his body against Zoro's, and pressed the tip of his nose against the other mans nose. The chefs hands were snugged in between the chests of the two men, and Sanji happily drifted back to sleep, knowing that he was safe in this position.

TBC

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_So let me know what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji awoke the next morning with a fluttering heartbeat under his palm. The nipple under the pad of his thumb was certainly a surprise for the chef, and he immediately tried to recollect his memories. He didn't bring a woman back with him to the ship did he? Finally opening his eyes to assess his situation he was momentarily unaware of his surroundings. Wriggling his toes in a form of a stretch, he noted that his left leg was on the floor like it should be. Yet his right leg was suspended, not in the air that is, but it seemed to be resting in the dip of two muscular legs. The gears in Sanji's head finally started catching up as a noticeable bulge could be felt squashed above Sanji's right knee. Just to be sure of his judgement, the chef nudged his right leg into the bulge slightly, gulping at the familiar voice that moaned in satisfaction. Mentally kicking himself, Sanji regretted his decision to 'cuddle' with Zoro last night. Yet as Sanji peeled his cheek from the warm chest of his nakama, he noted that he had had the best damn sleep last night.

Sanji was now looking down at the man resting his head on his left arm (the apparent cause of its numbness) and he couldn't help but smile. Sanji knew that it would be easier for the both of them if they weren't spotted sleeping together like this, so the chef decided he should separate himself from the warmth of Zoro's body. Hoisting his leg up and to the floor was easy, but the hand that was acting as Zoro's pillow would be a challenge to remove. Sanji had an idea on how he could retract his arm and it was crazy, but he knew that it would work. Lowering his mouth directly next to Zoro's ear, Sanji took a deep breath and faintly whispered, "Marimo, lift your head for me..."

Sanji was surprised when the man below him took in a deep breath and lifted his head slightly. The chef was amazed at how obedient Zoro was when his sleep was concerned, and his arm was soon removed with ease. The rhythmic beating of Zoro's heartbeat continued to make Sanji's right palm tingle, and he momentarily wavered before he lifted it from the scarred chest. Now fully extracted from his previous snuggling partner, the chef decided that it was time he started on breakfast.

As he made his way outside, the morning breeze ruffled through Sanji's suit and shiver passed through his body. The chef tucked his hands into his armpits and trudged towards the kitchen. Fresh snow crunched under Sanji's shoes as he made his way through the door. Now glad to be in the confines of his kitchen, Sanji couldn't help but wish he had stayed with Zoro a little longer, but he immediately brushed away the absurd thought. Preheating the oven was his first move, before proceeding to boil some water and prepare tea as well as some hot chocolate, knowing that the early risers of the ship would appreciate a warm beverage. Sanji's teeth chattered as he opened the fridge and hurriedly grabbed the ingredients needed to prepare a warm breakfast. This morning the chef would be making bacon and eggs with his famous hash browns, accompanied by some oatmeal for those looking to really warm the belly.

The first arrival in the kitchen was Robin, who was deeply grateful for the boiling hot tea pre-prepared for her. A light conversation between the pair was interrupted by the entrance of Chopper and Nami who were showing opposite reactions to the chill atmosphere. The small reindeer had trouble hiding his excitement at the snow falling lightly outside, and exclaimed that he couldn't wait to play outside with Luffy and Usopp. The navigator however was complaining that she wouldn't be able to keep a steady hand whilst drawing her maps from her shivering in this cold weather. Sanji handed the tea to Nami and the hot chocolate to Chopper before he started on their breakfast. After half an hour the room was full of bustling laughter and echoes of chattering teeth. Sanji announced that breakfast was served, and the crew stared in awe at the steam rolling off the hot meal ready to be eaten. Sanji shivered at the opening of the door, yet it wasn't he cold breeze drifting through that caused it. Both men knew this moment would come. The morning after such an intimate act between the two men would be awkward, yet Sanji hoped that things would continue like normal.

Just the chef was about to lecture Zoro about his tardiness, it seemed someone had a bone to pick with him too.

"Zoro! I hope you enjoyed your sleep last night because according to Robin here, she didn't sleep a wink!" Zoro visibly cringed and scratched the back of his neck and Sanji began to worry that the man would spill the beans.

"It's alright Nami-san, I was too caught up in reading to remember to switch shifts. I just hope you all would not mind if I caught up on some sleep today."

Nami huffed and returned to eating her breakfast, yet Robin's attention remained on Zoro. Sanji watched in embarrassment as Robin subtly winked at Zoro before she too returned to her meal. Zoro had taken a seat at the table and Sanji placed a hot plate of food in front of him, avoiding eye contact. With his heart suddenly racing, the chef picked Chopper's plate off the table and topped it up with seconds. As he was placing the plate back down on the table, Chopper whispered to him.

"When you have time, I'd like to have a check up on your back"

Sanji nodded and continued to cater to the needs of his crew and the endless pit of his captain's stomach. Soon the food was eaten and the crew headed outside to play in the snow. Eventually Sanji had finished cleaning the kitchen and made his way down into the men's room. Inside was Zoro sitting on the couch with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth, and he didn't look happy. Just as Sanji was about to leave and come back later, he realized he was spotted.

"Ah Sanji great timing! Please strip down and take a seat on the lounge next to Zoro, I'll be with you in a second."

The awkward atmosphere was heavy as Sanji slowly unbuttoned his shirt and slid it down off his shoulders. The chef's ears flushed as he pulled down his pants and could sense the dark eyes watching every movement. The thermometer in Zoro's mouth rose a few degrees as Sanji sat down next to him and the chef couldn't help but distract himself by fiddling with the hem of his boxers. The pair sat in awkward silence as Chopper finally made his way towards Sanji with the stethoscope.

"You know what to do."

Sanji took in a deep breath until his lungs were full and shivered at the cold metal that suddenly pressed against his chest. Chopper recorded the results and moved behind Sanji, so the man coiled forward so that his head was nearly in between his knees. The stethoscope lingered on his back and moved around a bit before it was removed. The scribbling of a pen prompted Sanji to turn his torso facing away from Zoro, waiting for a few seconds before he twisted to finally face Zoro. Blue eyes widened at the close proximity between their faces, and Zoro seemed to be as stumped as he was. Gazing into Zoro's eyes, Sanji could hardly feel the hooves prodding along his spine as the two men stared at each other. A "Next" from Chopper snapped Sanji from his staring, and he suddenly stood and balanced his body on his toes, effectively flexing all of his legs muscles. Sanji made sure to keep his head slightly turned towards Zoro to keep an eye on his embarrassed reactions as Chopper's hooves prodded up from Sanji's toes up to his hips. Hooves continued to squish around Sanji's thigh musces, and after a few more pokes from Chopper, the chef was sitting down on the couch again. Chopper eyed his results for a moment before smiling and handing the folded shirt and pants back to Sanji.

"Your muscles having noticeably relaxed and it seems the swelling around your spinal chord has lessened, whatever sleeping pattern you've developed has greatly helped you and I recommend you stick to it."

The cluttering sound of plastic hitting the wooden floor brought all attention to Zoro, who sat staring at the pair with a slightly gaping mouth. Sanji realized the inclination of Chopper's statement and started buttoning his shirt up faster.

"Wahh! Zoro why did you do that? What's wrong?"

Zoro hurriedly left the room and Chopper picked up the thermometer from the ground, reading it's result. Sanji suddenly felt that he needed air, so when he finally finished buckling his belt he thanked the doctor and left.

The rest of the day was full of snow fights and warm meals. Sanji was tuckered after cleaning the table and was not looking forward to washing up the various cutlery and dish-ware from today's dinner. His hands tingled from the warm water encasing his hands as he began to wash the messy dishes. Loud stomping entered the kitchen, and suddenly a pair of hands holding a cloth were wiping down the plates that Sanji had already washed. The cook eyed Zoro suspiciously as the Marimo silently helped him, and Sanji felt like breaking the stifling silence.

"So about last ni-"

"What's wrong with your back?"

The sudden question almost had Sanji dropping the bowl in his hands, but the chef collected himself and thought on how he should answer.

"Tch, let people finish speaking first, asshole."

The swordsman grumbled at the chef and put down the last bowl that needed to be dried. Silently the pair made their way to the men's room and prepared themselves for bed. Sanji removed his jacket and shoes, whilst Zoro was left wearing only his pants again. The chef made himself comfortable on the floor and watched in curiosity as Zoro laid himself on the floor closer to Sanji than usual. Brushing away his bustling thoughts, the cook turned onto his side and closed his eyes.

Zoro watched on as Sanji's body slowly curled in on itself and created a ball of protection. The man didn't know if the chef was still awake or not, but wanted to try and push his luck. He was cold, and he wondered whether he could wrap around Sanji's warm body again like the night before. Lifting an arm towards Sanji's body, it was swiftly retracted as the man in front of him wiggled and turned to face Zoro. Sanji's eyes were hooded as he gazed over to Zoro, and a pale hand twitched towards the swordsman slightly. The movement must have been a mistake as suddenly Sanji's face scrunched in pain and a groan made its way out of his mouth. A pleading look was sent Zoro's way and the swordsman stared at the man crumpled in pain. Guessing it was what the chef wanted from him, Zoro shifted his body closer to Sanji's and grabbed the hand reaching out for him. Suddenly he was pulled closer and a strong leg was hoisted over Zoro's thigh. Surprised with the bold movement and the sudden intimate position, Zoro could only watch as Sanji's body pressed fully against his and the sigh that left the chefs mouth snapped him back to reality.

"What-"

"Shhh"

Zoro took the hint to shut up and laid still as the blonde held him close and arched backwards, effectively moulding their hips together. A few cracks from Sanji's back echoed through the room and Zoro's face reddened at the quiet moan that left Sanji's lips. The chef straightened against Zoro's body again, except this time his arm snaked over a tanned hip and stayed there. Zoro laid waiting for Sanji's next move, but when it seemed the blonde was finished with his stretch, the swordsman felt it was okay to be bold. A thick hand grabbed Sanji's leg and hoisted it further up his thigh, before trailing along the thigh and sliding up to Sanji's thin waist. Pulling the man closer to him, Zoro moved his face closer to Sanji's until their noses were almost touching, just like the way they had fallen asleep the night before. The blonde man sighed in encouragement and shuffled his head closer to Zoro, effectively rubbing the tip of their noses together.

"We don't speak of this." Were the last words that Sanji whispered.

"Agreed."

TBC

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_So this is turning from a two chapter story to a three or more chapter story! I'm sorry for the wait for this, but I had so many ideas that my brain nearly exploded. I never realised how hard it was to keep Zoro in character whilst making him do cute things, but i'll try and make it work. I hope you're all enjoying this story because I really love writing it. The reviews from from the first chapter made me so excited to write more, so thank you all for the encouragement. _


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a long time since Sanji had ever woken up lying on his back, and it felt refreshing. Unlike the heavy body weighing down on top of him, which caused Sanji to groan at what a pain it was going to be to get up. From the light he could see outside the small port hole in the room, it was at least 5 in the morning, which was much too early for Sanji to need to be awake. His body clock was set to wake up at at least around 6am, so something had obviously disturbed his sleep if he was awake earlier than usual. There were currently a dozen different sensations along his body that could've woken him up. It could've been the deep, warm breaths on his pale neck, or the heavy arm that was slung over his chest. It might've been the warm body that was lying on his left arm, numbing it completely, or maybe it was the blunt object poking into the side of his hip. Yes, that was most definitely the cause of his awakening. Sanji couldn't blame zoro for having this sort of reaction whilst being in such an intimate position with another human being. Morning wood was normal for men, and the cook had to admit he was currently sporting one too. Yet Sanji's was quite painful at the moment, because a heavy leg was resting directly across his lower hips.

Sanji knew that if he tried to fall back asleep he would never wake up again, so the chef decided that he would just have to get up extra early today. A pale hand grabbed the wrist of the arm wrapped around his chest and tried the pry it off. Terrible mistake. The tanned arm seemed to grip Sanji's upper torso tighter, and suddenly Zoro's hardness was pressed closer to Sanji's side. A few garbled grunts left Zoro's mouth before the room was silent again. A blushing Sanji narrowed his swirly eyebrows in annoyance at the swordsman's reaction and tightened his grip on the wrist again. Sanji tried harder to extract the limb off his chest and started wiggling his hips in an attempt to shimmy the leg off him too. The hot breathing against his neck increased in speed, and Sanji almost let out a whine as Zoro began to thrust his hips back and forth. Sanji cringed at the feeling of Zoro subtly humping him, and he felt himself twitch at the motion of the other man's hips. Feeling betrayed by his own body, Sanji's annoyance only grew at the swordsman's lustful actions and just as Sanji was about to finally let all hell loose, a single whisper of, "..cook..." halted all plans of attack.

Suddenly Sanji felt unbearably hot as the green haired mans lips grazed against his pale neck. Shit. He needed to end this, now.

Sanji had to admit he was enjoying the attention from the unconscious swordsman, but the consequences could be dangerous, and he didn't want it to become even more awkward between the pair. He couldn't give in, he just couldn't, plus not only was Zoro his rival, he was a man! Yet all arguments in his mind were interrupted by the increased body weight on his side, and the strong hips were gyrating harder against Sanji. Twitch. A wet tongue sloppily trailed along Sanji's neck in repetitive motions. Twitch. Sharp teeth began to nibble lazily at his neck. Twitch. A quite moan of '..Saa-n..' was repeated in deep, scratched tones of pleasure. Twitch.

All movement abruptly stopped and Sanji felt as if the world had paused. Both men were breathing heavily, and Sanji's body laid limp on the floor in a puddle of ecstasy. A heavy sigh and a whispered "Shit.." from next to his ear piqued Sanji's attention. All warmth was extracted from him as Zoro released his grip on Sanji and rolled onto his side with his tanned back now facing the cook. _So the oaf has finally woken up, huh? Idiot._ Yet Sanji strangely felt sad that Zoro had left him, and he shivered at the sudden coldness. Turning on his side facing away from Zoro, the chef curled up again and gazed down at his hardness. With the sudden coldness and the throbbing pain beginning to spread along his back, he knew that in only a few moments his problem would die down.

Squinting his eyes in pain, Sanji realised he should've gotten up as soon as Zoro had let go, because now the chef felt as if he couldn't move at all. His back was not appreciating the arching of his spine, and the pain from the night before returned ten-fold. Sanji wracked his brain as to what he should do. He didn't want to shout for Chopper and alert the men in the room of his predicament, and he certainly did not want to beg for Zoro's help, but the chef felt as if he had no other choice. Moving his left arm behind him, Sanji tapped at Zoro's back as best as he could to gain the swordsman's attention. After a few more hits it seemed the other man had finally noticed and turned around to see what the chef's problem was. Sanji laid and waited for Zoro's reaction to his fetal position and groaned in pain. That was enough to prompt Zoro to lay down behind Sanji and spoon against the chef's back. Sanji grimaced at the feeling of Zoro's hardness pressing against him again, yet indulged in the arms that wrapped around his chest and hips. Strong arms pulled Sanji's body so that it both men arched backwards and soon a loud **crack** resounded through the room. Sanji tried to muffle his moan of satisfaction at the bone popping bone, but it was heard, and Sanji felt Zoro's length twitch against his backside.

Nervous breaths were released between the pair and neither made a move to retract from one another. Both men laid in awkward silence until finally Zoro's warm breath closed in next to Sanji's red ear.

"You're going to explain this whole 'back' shit to me today, whether you like it or not."

With that Zoro parted himself from Sanji's back and sluggishly stood up, slipped on a shirt and crouched in front of Sanji, holding out his hand.

"Now?!" Sanji shouted in a hushed whisper, glancing between zoros narrowed eyes and his outstretched hand.

"First food, then story time curly brow." Zoro urged his hand closer to Sanji's face and the chef grumbled in annoyance before he took the hand in front if him. After the chef was pulled to his feet, the pair slipped on their shoes and quietly made their way up to the deck and then into the kitchen.

Leftover fruit salad from yesterdays dessert was placed between the two men, accompanied by hot cups of tea. Sanji nibbled on a pineapple slice in silence as he sat and thought on where he should start. A loud crunch of apple from Zoro prompted Sanji to begin his story.

"So I guess you have a general idea of my... Past"

Zoro grunted in recognition and simply replied, "You starved on a rock or something. I was kind of busy with my own problems when you showed up."

Sanji had expected an answer like that, and somehow always knew that Zoro never really cared about his history up until now.

"It's not really as simple as that. You went without food for a while once right? So you know how it feels."

A loud slurp of tea was the only reply to his question, and it irked Sanji that Zoro didn't seem very respondent.

"Long story short; there was a storm, Zeff saved me, gave me all of the food and eventually I ran out."

"Ok, So you got hungry for a while, what has that got to do with your weird back problem?"

Sanji chuckled at that, yet there was no humour intended. _So the marimo thought that I just "got hungry" huh?_

Setting down his cup of tea, Sanji grabbed a small grape and held it up to eye level, slowly inspecting it. Sanji began to describe the feeling of slowly withering away on a small rock with no food or water. He recalled the times when he slurped old rain water from a puddle to quench his thirst, and how each day all he could do to pass the time was stare at the endless horizon wondering if every sunset would be his last. He described the cold nights where he would curl up to keep warm, and how he would ball up to protect himself from the vultures pecking at his lifeless body. Sanji told Zoro how the habit of creating a shell never left him, and even after years of being in a safe environment, he still felt the need to protect himself whilst he slept.

The chef finally popped the small grape into his mouth and slowly chewed, savouring the flavor of the fruit before swallowing.

"It's a shitty explanation I know but, even in the safety of this crew I still feel...like I need to protect myself."

Suddenly a large hand was splayed against Sanji's back, and the chef only now noticed that Zoro had shuffled closer to him during his heartbreaking story. Was the swordsman trying to... Comfort him?! The chef whipped his head to face Zoro and was shocked to see the sympathetic face so close to him. All that the swordsman could utter was a small "Sorry" before his other arm circled around Sanji's torso and awkwardly side-hugged the cook. For a while the two men sat in stunned silence, both sporting a terrible blush. Sanji had never in his whole life thought that he would ever see Zoro hug someone, let alone be the one the oaf would hug.

"I never thought that you were this affectionate, marimo."

"Tch!"

The other man let go of the chef, and moved back to his original spot. Zoro then sat in thoughtful silence, occasionally sipping his tea, looking as if he were contemplating something trivial. Sanji only watched on with slight confusion and munched on the fruit still sitting between the pair. Eventually one of Zoro's fists hit his other outstretched palm with a loud "poh!" and the swordsman sent a determined look Sanji's way.

"I'll sleep with you then, every night."

Sanji sputtered at that, and kicked Zoro to the other side of the room.

"What nonsense are you spouting you shitty moss head?! Pervert! Algae! Idiot! Neanderthal!"

"Geez quit your whining you idiot cook! I only meant laying down like we were before. What perverted things were you thinking of you perverted cook?!"

Sanji sighed in relief at that but suddenly realised the inclinations of what Zoro had just suggested. Zoro wanted to snuggle with him every night? Sure it helped him sleep straight and stopped his back from aching, but to be held by Zoro like that... It didn't seem right.

"I dont know.." Sanji voiced out, and took a seat at the table again.

"I don't see why not," Zoro replied, taking a seat next to Sanji, "we've already done it without problems these last two nights, and its obviously helping you from what I heard Chopper say yesterday."

But Sanji had nothing to argue with in return. Everything the swordsman said was true, and he was sick of being stubborn.

"I don't see a problem with it then. See you later curly brow." With that Zoro left the kitchen and a surprised chef sitting alone at the table. Finishing off his tea and eating the last of the fruit slices, Sanji soon rolled up his sleeves and prepared the kitchen for the day.

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_So this is another shortish one. Think of this chapter as a small christmas present to all of you who have been supporting me. I hope you liked this chapter though, I kind of felt like adding something a bit sexual to spice up the story for those who like steamy ZoSan moments (like me). It seems this story might go on for a bit longer (yay) and i'm really excited to keep writing it! Would you like more intimate moments between the pair? or should I turn the sexual tension down a notch? I just wanna make you all happy!_

_(p.s) If there are any mistakes or something that doesn't make sense, please point them out to me. I was kind of rushing with this chapter and I wanted to post it as soon as possible! __Thanks for reading :)_


	4. Chapter 4

All day the chef had been on edge since Zoro promised to lay with him each night in order to help him with his sleeping posture. Sanji was nervously waiting for the moment that Zoro would walk into the kitchen to let him know it was time to go to sleep. Even now as Sanji cleaned the kitchen from the post-dinner mess, his body shook in suspense.

His body visibly jumped at the sound of the kitchen door slamming open, and the cook knew it was time.

"Seems I'm on watch duty the first half of tonight, so you'll have to hold out until then."

That was not what the chef was expecting to hear, and it forced him to stop wiping down the table for a moment. Eyeing the swordsman for a little too long, the chef looked back down and continued his scrubbing. "Whatever" Sanji had replied, but deep down he was thanking the gods that he wouldn't have to awkwardly fall asleep with Zoro.

The two men washed and wiped up much like they had last night, and eventually Zoro left without a word and made his way up to the crows nest. Sanji instead made his way into the men's bunk room and tried to make himself comfortable on the wooden flooring. The hours ticked by and Sanji had still gotten no sleep. Whether it was because of his aching back or the freezing cold, he didnt know, but either way he needed Zoro. At that moment said man finally trudged down the ladder and walked over to Usopp's hammock, whispering to him that it was his turn to go on watch. The long nosed man sleepily grabbed a few blankets before he left the room.

Sanji's heartbeat accelerated at the ruffled sounds of Zoro stripping down behind him. A heavy sigh was heard before a warm chest was pressed against his back, and hips against his backside. An arm was slung around his hips and Sanji's body was pulled into a straight line. The cook scrunched his eyes in pleasure at the feeling of his back being straightened and he wondered how Zoro could easily make him feel so good. Warm puffs of air were felt against the back of his neck and Sanji went from freezing cold to boiling hot, both in embarrassment and because of the warm body behind him. Relaxing his eyes was easy, but his hammering heart and increased breathing were an obvious sign that he was awake, and Zoro seemed to notice, for suddenly warm lips were pressed against his ear.

"Oi cook, you awake?" A simple nod of the head was Sanji's reply and he expected that to be the end of Zoro's questioning, but nothing had really met Sanji's expectations these days anyways.

"Does your back feel good?" Zoro questioned as a tanned hand slid along Sanji's side and up to his currently curved waist. Of course the chef's mind went into overdrive and all he could do was nod again. The hand suddenly diverged its path into a southern direction, as it slid down to Sanji's stomach and then lower to just above the hem of his pants. Sanji bit his lip to contain his heavy pants, and his bottom lip was about to split from the pressure of his teeth against it. Just what on earth was the marimo doing?!

* * *

Zoro couldn't help but lay in amazement at the cook's reactions to his simple touching. He had started it out to make the chef feel uncomfortable, because he was an ass like that, but all it was achieving was quiet whines from Sanji. The swordsman was now the uncomfortable one, as the sounds of Sanji's muffled moans sent a strange shiver through his body. Shit. All of this just because he held his hand pressed against Sanji's clothed stomach? Could it be that the chef's stomach was his weak spot? Perhaps all of those years protecting his front had made it sensitive, and Zoro felt slightly empowered in knowing the other man's weak point. Sanji had always shown a tough appearance for the crew, and here he was, succumbing to the touch of his crew mate's hand. Zoro wanted to see more. He sure as hell didn't know why, but he wanted to see and feel his rival melt at his touch, he wanted to watch the chef squirm in pleasure.

Lifting the hem of Sanji's shirt slightly, Zoro slipped a single finger under the shirt and stroked a line across the pale skin. Goosebumps erupted under his finger tip, and a slight gasp of surprise hushed through the room. The rest of his fingers slid under the shirt, and his whole hand splayed against Sanji's bare stomach. The body against him clenched and he could practically hear the cook bite back a moan. "Sensitive huh?" Zoro huskily whispered in the cook's ear. He hadn't expected himself to say that, especially with that tone of voice.

The situation was getting dangerous, and Zoro couldn't help but glide his hand up from Sanji's stomach to his heaving chest. Zoro's finger stopped at a nipple and experimentally pressed down a bit. Sanji's hips bucked backwards against Zoro's crotch and the swordsman immediately thrust back eagerly. A finger circled Sanji's nipple once and the hips started to frantically grind back harder. Zoro couldn't resist pushing himself closer against Sanji, so close that he could feel all of the muscles in the chef's back straining against his chest. The circling of the nipple continued, yet Zoro could only concentrate on the continuous gyrating of his hips against Sanji's ass. Both men were breathing heavily now, and Zoro couldn't help but suck at the sweaty skin under the back of Sanji's hair line. All blood was flowing south and his breathing was no longer steady as a pale hand hesitantly gripped one of his ass cheeks. All he could do was moan in pleasure at the foreign touch and soon enough simply touching the other man's chest just wasn't enough. Just as he was about to slide his hand down into the cook's pants, the pale hand retracted from his behind and grabbed his wrist instead, effectively stopping him. The dry humping had finished too, and Zoro listened to the deep inhales as Sanji tried to speak.

"Stop"

Zoro obeyed the other man's request, and awkwardly leant on his elbow to try and get a good look at the chef's face. Sanji turned his head to the side and met Zoro's gaze half way, sending the swordsman a pleading look.

"I think that's enough..."

The blond haired man sounded strained and not happy to stop what they were doing, but it was obvious that the chef was beginning to feel tired. Zoro merely grunted in agreement and laid back down onto his side, moulding himself against Sanji again. The hand loosened it's grip on his wrist, and Zoro moved his hand so that it rested against the cook's stomach. Noticing a small bruise forming on the back of Sanji's neck, the green haired man smirked deviously and nipped at the spot with his teeth. The chef let out a small yelp at the bite, but soon cozied himself back against the swordsman's body. Steadily the heartbeats of the two men slowed down, yet Zoro's hardness was having trouble going down anytime soon, and it seemed that Sanji was having the same problem. Neither made a move to fix themselves, so together they fell asleep in slight awkwardness, awaiting for what the next morning will bring them.

TBC

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_Sorry it took so long to update, I was really stressing over whether this chapter was good enough. I hope you don't mind that I attempted a smutty scene, I just really wanted to write an intimate moment like that. I plan for more moments like this, but I want to balance both fluff and smut. Reviews have been making me smile non-stop, so thank you to those who have been reviewing, and also another 'thank you' for reading!_

_What do you more more of next time? Fluff or smut? or dare I say neither?_


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